1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for recording the location of stored objects and, more specifically, to aids for locating parked vehicles in a parking lot and/or parking garages.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that drivers often must park their vehicles in large parking lots or garages (hereinafter collectively referred to as "parking lots") at places such as shopping malls, airports, sporting arenas, and amusement parks. It may be very difficult for the drivers to remember the exact location of their vehicle in large parking lots. Drivers often try to remember the location of their cars by noting and recalling positions of objects and landmarks near their vehicles, such as posts, signs, trees, or buildings. This method is haphazard: the drivers may forget the landmarks or not be able to find them. Consequently, the drivers may spend much time and effort just locating their vehicles. The problem may be compounded if the drivers are laden with packages or are accompanied by small children.
To help alleviate the difficulty of locating vehicles in large parking lots, many parking lots are systematically divided into areas by level (if applicable), section, and subsection. Each level, section, or subsection is designated by a symbol, number, and/or letter of the alphabet. Each area is designated by a unique combination of symbols, numbers, and/or letters. Neighboring areas may have designations that are logically related to each other. For example, "Blue A 2" may designate a section next to "Blue A 3" and "Blue B 2". Thus, a driver may take advantage of this logical pattern when locating his parked vehicle.
For this method to help the driver, however, the drivers must still remember the designation of the specific area in which their vehicles are parked. Drivers may trust their memory or jot down the designation on some scrap of paper. Nevertheless, the drivers often forget the designation or lose the paper on which the designation was written. In such cases, the drivers must once again spend much time and effort locating their vehicles.
Prior art discloses methods for recording information regarding arrival and departure of a vehicle in a parking area. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,943 (Malinovitz) discloses a disposable parking card having month, day, and expiration time which is adapted to be hung securely in a vehicle's window. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,649 (Weber) discloses a disposable parking card having month, day, and hour indicia. However, these patents and other prior art do not address the need of aiding a driver in locating his parked vehicle after he has left the vehicle's location.